Letters from our Readers: Supplying low-skill jobs

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A battered economy and a historic drop in tax revenue are high prices to pay for the meager increase of San Francisco manufacturing jobs touted by Mayor Gavin Newsom. While Newsom can be applauded for the state-assisted redevelopment projects, such as Hunters Point and Treasure Island, his blind spots as a political leader left rezoning of The City’s privately owned, industrial east side to “progressive” supervisors. Now, the collateral damage of the Eastern Neighborhoods debacle will be felt for decades.

The Eastern Neighborhoods Plan essentially restricts most of the available, developable land to low-skilled production, distribution and repair jobs or government-funded housing. While good intensions may have been involved, the San Francisco controller’s economic impact analysis of the rezoning predicted 116,000 high-paying jobs would be lost in order to save 15,000 low-skill jobs, and that land values would drop almost $6 billion.

Judy West, San Francisco

Ignoring mid-Market

Ken Garcia’s Tuesday article regarding the continuing scourge of mid-Market Street was appreciated by those who supported last fall’s ballot proposition to create an arts and theater district starting with high-tech digital signs in the downtown’s most blighted blocks. Mid-Market residents overwhelmingly supported Prop. D, but voters outside the district killed the measure.

Today, mid-Market looks just like it has for 40 years — sad, scary and neglected. Civic organizations that fought the measure pledged to find solutions to clean up the area. But, nearly one year later, where are they? David Addington and Carolyn Diamond of the Market Street Association continue to advocate for the area with cutting-edge proposals, while others fail to deliver on tired rhetoric.

Dee Dee Workman, San Francisco

Cargill project irrational

Redwood City has authorized the expenditure of $4 million just to get started on the EIR process, years before any decisions are made. At least Minneapolis-based Cargill will reimburse the city. But, it makes me wonder how reasonable can this colossal development be if it costs so much money right out of the gate.

The more money the developer spends, the more profit they’re going to want to wring out of our Bay to get a return on their investment. Is this project even feasible? The more I learn about it, the worse it looks. Wiser minds would put a stop to it now.